October 21, 2016

EP: Emily Yacina - Nice Try

Emily Yacina shows continuing growth on her new EP.

New York-based artist Emily Yacina shows continuing growth on her latest pensive EP, titled Nice Try. It was originally supposed to be a two-song album that expanded to five at the last minute, which Yacina noted on Facebook with the timeless Hillary Duff quote, "Why not take a crazy chance?" Nice Try expands upon Yacina's previous work while also creating a vaster creative landscape for the her to explore. Clocking in at around ten minutes, it's a short ride but one that is rich in sentiment and vision. Yacina, as always, uses the guitar as the dominant instrument but unlike the synth-y Soft Stuff, she accompanies many of the songs on Nice Try with more natural sounds. On the standout track "Sailing," she combines a smooth, plucky guitar and tinkering piano with lyrics that convey a perilous sentiment. “Peel the skin from my sight / Your hunger makes you bite,” Yacina sings, juxtaposing the sweetness of the song with a potentially sinister message.

There are other lyrics on Nice Try that hold obscure dark messages, such as the last few lines in "Pull It Apart": "The wound won’t open till you pull it apart / and I pull it apart / You pull me apart,” she says, making it unclear of who is the victim in the song. The arrangement on "Miss You" is the richest and most layered track on the EP, and it paints colors of the visceral pain that lingers after someone hurts you. Yacina's perspective on relationships isn't entirely pessimistic though, as shown on the opening track "New Feeling," where new love is discovered. This fresh feeling is infinitely exciting and sparks an energy inside you that you didn’t know was possible. “Is it supposed to feel this good?” she sings, stretching out the line for ultimate impact. The titular and final track closes with the album on a lighter note, as she sings, “I’m the good guy grabbing your shoulder / To hold you / It’s what I do.” Returning to "Pull It Apart," Yacina defiantly notes that she's “older now” and you can feel that throughout Nice Try. This does not necessarily mean that she, or the listener, has less fear or even more understanding, but perhaps just knowing what you have been through and have survived makes you stronger. No matter what you don’t like about yourself, you can take comfort in the constant that is who you are. You know that when it all comes down to it, you’ll still be there.

Listen to Emily Yacina onbandcamp.THIS STAFF POST WAS CONTRIBUTED BY:
Hannah Shields is a former child prodigy and current unemployed college drop out. When she is not writing things and filming things about herself you can find her on stage talking about herself and calling it comedy.